[Art_beyond_sight_educators] maps, haptics, ballet,gardens

Fri Dec 30 12:06:09 UTC 2011

Innovation in the independence of the visually impaired with KAPTEO GPS

County parks weigh next options for grant money

Tactile maps and plantings of trees, shrubs and flowers to draw wildlife 
are the top choices for enhancements to Seneca County's recently 
completed handicapped accessible park options.

The Access to Recreation Steering Committee met Thursday to update one 
another on ideas to improve the handicapped accessible areas to provide 
better outdoor recreation for people with vision or hearing disabilities.

http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/536287/County-parks-weigh-next-options-for-grant-money.html?nav=5005

*HapticRiaMaps: towards interactive exploration of web world maps for 
the visually impaired*

Existing information on the Web and especially maps are 
graphically-orientated and in most cases visually impaired users have 
very restricted access and find it difficult to recognize this kind of 
visual representation. For visually impaired people and especially for 
blind users alternative information presentation ways must be found, 
which would replace visual information. We investigate the potential 
role of haptics in augmenting the visualization of maps exist on the 
Web. /HapticRiaMaps/ is a free open source web application enforces the 
accessibility of maps for the visually impaired users. Issues of 
multimodal interaction, relevant sonifications, and haptic technologies 
enable efficient map exploration of preferable and well known 2D maps 
(retrieves maps from OpenStreetMap web application).

http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1969316&dl=ACM&coll=DL&CFID=75843161&CFTOKEN=53635360

HapticRiaMaps: Towards Interactive exploration of Web
World maps for the Visually Impaired
Nikolaos Kaklanis1, Konstantinos Votis1, Panagiotis Moschonas1 and 
Dimitrios Tzovaras1
1 Informatics and Telematics Institute Centre for Research and 
Technology Hellas
6th Km Charilaou-Thermi Road, 57001 (PO Box 60361)
Thermi-Thessaloniki, Greece
http://www.ra.ethz.ch/cdstore/www2011/W4A/p23.pdf

In addition to real-time voice navigation which guides the user to any 
address or location, during the journey, KAPTEO gives options to:

    * Prepare for the journey by listening in advance to all navigation
      instructions (the route planner) without leaving home.
    * Find a place by moving virtually on the map from any point (map
      discovery mode).
    * Start a walking navigation to the selected address and include
      public transport.
    * Obtain the description of what is around you throughout the
      journey, i.e. descriptions of crossroads, names of streets, K-tags
      (free navigation mode).
    * Navigate using public transport with route maps.
    * Detect sound beacons present in your environment.
    * Locate building entrances or other points of interest by
      selectively triggering the detected sound beacons.
    * Obtain discrete feedback on data about the building or more
      broadly its direct environment.
    * Listen to descriptions of sites being visited (audio description
      of the Handica trade show, for example, or the area surrounding
      the town hall or post office visited).

http://www.investincotedazur.com/en/newsletter/innovation-in-the-independence-of-the-visually-impaired-with-kapteo-gps-&artid=act10111

haptic
Designing with haptics for the Visually Impaired

http://www.slideshare.net/christrixy/seeing-without-sight-designing-with-haptics-for-the-visually-impaired

APH Talking PC Maps Software
http://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_APH%20Talking%20PC%20Maps%20Software_1-04105-00P_10001_11051

???
http://www.native-instruments.com/forum/showthread.php?p=822517

????
http://hackaday.com/2011/03/16/giving-sight-to-the-visually-impaired-with-kinect/

http://uscnews.usc.edu/science_technology/researchers_create_robotic_aids_for_visually_impaired.html
http://news.discovery.com/tech/guide-vest-gives-visiually-impaired-new-set-of-eyes-110527.html

Dalom music looks to sign more locals
One of them, a visually impaired young man from Mmathethe village in the 
Southern District mesmerised the audience with his Pantsula dancing 
skills an many had to get closer to him to confirm if he was, indeed, blind.
http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=7&aid=1905&dir=2011/March/Thursday24

TBWA\Toronto gives Canadians a glimpse into the lives of the visually 
impaired
Canadians are being given a five-minute glimpse into the everyday life 
of a blind person in a new TV and online initiative for *Accessible 
Media Inc*. (AMI), a national media organization that makes both TV 
shows and printed materials accessible to the visually impaired.
http://www.marketingmag.ca/news/media-news/tbwatoronto-gives-canadians-a-glimpse-into-the-lives-of-the-visually-impaired-28533

VIDEO: Blind man will sue American Bar Association
Bernstein said Tueday that the test, which costs $139 to take and is 
administered by the Law School Admissions Council of Newton, Pa., 
discriminates against the visually impaired because it requires testers 
to draw diagrams and charts, something inherently discriminatory against 
a blind person who cannot conceive of or perceive spatial relationships.
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2011/05/10/news/doc4dc99008709fe089253368.txt

Expansion to the classic online RPG MUD, Alter Aeon

This update also includes enhancements to the game's outstanding support 
for blind and visually impaired players. In addition to general 
usability improvements, Alter Aeon now supports exporting raw game data 
in a format directly usable by soundpack creators and the general 
visually impaired community.

/"This expansion brings together several new and interesting concepts. 
We've added a number of new mechanics that open up unexplored 
possibilities for the players,"/ says Alter Aeon creator Dennis Towne. 
/"Emergent gameplay and interaction have always been an important part 
of the Alter Aeon universe, and we're already starting to see new and 
unusual uses of these exciting new features."
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/73927/Expansion_to_the_classic_online_RPG_MUD_Alter_Aeon.php
/

/
/Program teaches ballet to the visually impaired

The mirrors in Tanya Chianese 's ballet classroom haven't gotten much 
use the past several Thursdays.

The students she's been teaching don't have much use for reflective 
surfaces. They're blind or visually impaired, and if anyone's been 
looking into the mirrors, it's the seeing-eye dogs tied to the balance bar.

http://newsok.com/program-teaches-ballet-to-the-visually-impaired/article/3576240?custom_click=lead_story_title

Experience walkathon with your senses
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/1013911--experience-walkathon-with-your-senses